The
Nanday Parakeet, known as the Black-headed Parakeet until the American
Ornithological Union changed its official name in 2014, is a small parrot
native to South America. They have sometimes been popular as a caged pet,
and escaped cage birds have established populations in several parts of the
United States. The American Birding Association now considers the
Nanday Parakeet to be an established resident in Florida, where populations
are primarily found in and around the Miami and Tampa/St. Petersburg areas,
but they are become more widely distributed across the state. Populations
also seem to be established in Los Angeles and they are also occasionally
seen in other major cities of the far southern U.S.

Habitat: Found in a variety of habitats in their
native range in South America, including second-growth forest, forest and
woodland edges, and riparian areas, as well as more open habitats such as
agricultural lands, shrublands, or pasturelands. In their range in the
United States, they are quite at home in suburban settings with
well-established landscape plants, preferring areas where fruits and nuts
are available.

Diet: Feeds on a wide variety of items, including
fruits and berries, nuts, seeds, flowers, nectar, and fresh shoots and buds
of certain plants.

Behavior: They are very gregarious outside of the
breeding season. They will often form large foraging flocks, flocks
that are semi-nomadic as the move from location to location in search of
foraging opportunities.

Nesting: The nest of a Nanday Parakeet is a cavity
in a tree. The female lays between 2 and 5 eggs. She alone incubates
them, while the male delivers food during the incubation period. The eggs
hatch after about 25 days.

Song: A variety of loud, shrill, screeching calls.

Migration: Considered a permanent resident
throughout its normal range in South America. Populations that have
become established in the United States are also considered permanent
residents.

Feeders: Nanday Parakeets found in suburban
settings in the U.S. have become accustomed to attending feeders for
various seeds, nuts, and fruits.

Similar Species:
For parrot species that have become established in the United States, Nanday
Parakeets are rather distinctive in appearance, and are unlikely to be
confused with another species if they are seen well.

Conservation Status: In their native range in
South America, numbers are on the increase (as they are for introduced
populations in the United States). They are found across a wide
geographic area, and are common in parts of their range.
The IUCN lists the
Nanday Parakeet as a species of "Least Concern". They are
persecuted as perceived agricultural pests in some parts of their native
range, however.